Indian hockey team to tour Bangladesh before Asian Games

The team will play 3 matches in Bangladesh before the Asian Games begin in South Korea on September 19.

Indian hockey team will tour Bangladesh ahead of the Asian Games. (Soure: PTI)

Fresh from a Commonwealth Games silver medal in Glasgow, the Indian men’s hockey team is now eyeing the Asian Games and will tour Bangladesh for a three-match series starting August 6 to tune-up for the challenge in Incheon, South Korea.

The series is expected to provide international exposure to the young players just before the Asiad in South Korea from September 19 to October 4.

In this regard, the core probables for the Asian Games team will find the series an appropriate opportunity to test their skills against an international opponent. The performance of players during this series will help selectors and coaches to select the best team for the 2014 Asiad.

The team will be captained by the experienced defender Vickram Kanth while midfielder S K Uthappa will be the vice-captain.

The team will depart for Dhaka on August 5 for the scheduled matches on 6 August 6,8 and 9 and will return the next day of the final game.

Speaking on the upcoming series, Hockey India (HI) general secretary Narinder Batra said, “We feel that while one unit of the core probables for Asian Games has gained experience from the XX Commonwealth Games where they won the Silver medal, this set of players will also have an opportunity to familiarise themselves in an international environment. Bangladesh has some very competent players and it will be good to play against them to review our own capabilities.”

“The experience of playing under pressure on an international platform always adds to the skills of the players and even helps in identifying the areas where the player lacks and the training required thereafter. This three-match series will help the team to get in rhythm according to the international requirements of playing away from home and even working upon the concerned areas henceforth,” he added.